Over the years I have marveled at how Pathwork attracts seekers from a diverse group of cultures, spiritual backgrounds, experiences, and worldviews. As an international community we are truly a melting pot that expresses both our individuality and our common humanity. Our stories weave us together like threads in a magnificent tapestry, and speak to the core longing we all share as we navigate our unique path on the journey back to union with all of Life. In times of such deep division, I find the International Pathwork Community an oasis of inclusion, tolerance, and rich celebration of differences. I have decided to feature the stories of various Pathworkers so that we might come together as a community to enrich each other through our shared experience. I hope you enjoy getting to know others in the International Pathwork Community through this online sharing! ************************ Cibele Salviatto Pathwork Helper in Miami, Florida Creating Sustainability From Within I started Pathwork exactly 20 years ago when I was 29. It would be much more accurate to say that Pathwork found me, indeed. And it found me as a career driven person, successfully working for a large corporation as a strategic planning manager, married with no kids and sensing that life should be more than making money and being perceived as successful. I needed to give back the gifts I had received from life, to contribute to something larger. I was first triggered by a colleague with whom I was able to have profound conversations. He never mentioned the word Pathwork, but I noticed that some...

Recently I assisted Senior Pathwork Helper Jac Conaway in the Sacred Dimensions weekend at Sevenoaks Retreat Center. We examined our beliefs about reality, and how we take for granted what we think we know is true. A simple exercise of putting a plastic bag over our heads demonstrated how we see everything through a certain lens, and assume what we are seeing is what everyone else is seeing, and that it is the final reality and truth of the matter. Back home, I had a conversation with a friend over an opposing view of life….each of us held a different perspective that was near and dear to our hearts. Each of us deeply believed in the certainty and goodness and rightness of our perspective. Each of us felt the other was somehow well-intentioned but misguided. Who is right? Who is wrong? Who is good? Who is bad? It was like both of us were talking to each other with bags over our heads, full of pain and hurt and anger and shock at the perceived reality of the other. I left saddened at the apparent impasse. Both of us had been in emotional reaction. Both of us had moments where we spoke from judgment, anger, and assumption. Of course, I say this from my own limited perspective, and she may have had a different take on our interaction, but I think it would be safe to say we both had bags over our heads. And yet I still believe both of us were doing our best to see the other. We were both trying to listen...

As we draw closer to the longest night of the year, this precious time of preparing for and surrendering to what is waiting to be birthed, I have been reflecting on this question: What does it mean to be a light in the darkness? Often in the Pathwork we speak of exploring our darkness….our negativity, defenses, misconceptions, and cruelty. We learn that when we expose our darkness to the light, healing happens and unknown gifts and talents are revealed. Through the gateway of experiencing whatever we most want to hide, we find transformation, fulfillment, and joy. And yet, there is another kind of darkness that we must walk through if we are to bring the fullness of who we are to this world. The darkness of the unknown. When you hear the call of Spirit to embody a new aspect of your light, it can be a bewildering, vulnerable experience. It often isn’t understood or welcomed by the ego-self. It may come as a whisper, an urging, or a half-delivered message. A road map that has the origin and destination clearly marked, but the route and mode of transportation is not so easy to discern. Sometimes we are called when even the destination is unclear. And so we are invited to carry our light in the dark, to take that next right step without knowing where the staircase leads. It takes courage and perseverance, but along the way we grow in faith, trust, and integrity. There may be some stumbling, a few wrong turns, and various obstacles along the way, but it is...

The past couple of weeks have been a roller coaster of emotions. As I shared in my last blog, I began by fully feeling my grief…. grief for all those in fear and pain over the election results, for those who would potentially be hurt through new laws that discriminate and reject. And for those who are currently being hurt by human rights violations. I could feel that part of me that identifies with the victim. The one who has been subject to the cruelty and indifference of others, and hurts for those experiencing that today. The Pathwork teaches me that although I have access to the part of me that identifies with victimization, there is also another part of me that identifies with the perpetrator. This is the part of me that defends by inflicting pain and cruelty on myself and others. So after feeling a good deal of grief, I tapped into my rage, my judgment, and my desire to attack those who are inflicting cruelty on others, and for those who hold different political views than I do. Being honest that this lives in me is a challenging stance to take, as I have to face how I hurt others in the same way I have been hurt, and the remorse I feel for that. I know both the victim and the perpetrator in response to this political election and in my life in general. While this kind of self-responsibility is challenging, it is also freeing. When I am willing to own both these parts in myself, I find my connection...

How do I write a blog post on the morning of Wednesday, November 9th, 2016? How can I comment on an election that feels like a dream? My heart is broken. I am devastated. I do not have any words of hope at this time. I do not have any words of pride at this time. I do not have any flowery, inspirational, spiritual words to reassure you with. I am grieving. I will not spiritually bypass this emotion. I will not go too quickly to what we need to do next. I will not sugar coat this. I will not defend against this emotion. I will grieve. I will allow myself to deeply feel this grief, because the Pathwork teaches me to be fully present to whatever arises. I will allow myself to deeply feel this grief, because if I don’t it will turn to hatred, judgment, hostility–or worse, indifference and despair. If you are feeling celebratory, or like this isn’t that big of a deal, thats fine. But understand I am not fine. Many Americans and others around the world are not fine. I am grieving. I need space to grieve. Don’t tell me to get over it. Please understand there are many people today who feel grief, who feel afraid today. Please be compassionate with them even if you cannot understand or agree with them. I will rebound. I always do. But I will not skip over this grief. It’s too important. My grief will honor all those who are disillusioned and afraid they will be...

This presidential election cycle has been a very INTERESTING time. Not necessarily in a positive way, but it definitely has not been a ho-hum run of the mill election. Tensions are stoked on both sides, the world in general seems to be spinning into chaos, and as a country we are more polarized than I’ve ever experienced. The dualistic world we live in seems magnified exponentially these days. And yet crisis always has the opportunity for growth. I have learned that politics in general, and an election year in particular, is a great opportunity for me to practice reflecting on how well I “walk the talk” regarding my desire to live from a unitive perspective, and to observe compassionately the many, many ways I fall short of that. Politics as spiritual practice. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton as my spiritual teachers. Who’d have ever guessed? I don’t think I’d ever willingly sign up for that workshop! But every day life offers itself as the most fruitful spiritual practice. Our adversaries have much more to teach us than our friends. So what better way to put our ideals to the test than this election? I’d like to invite you to join me in slowing down a bit in your response to the media frenzy around the election and the challenges that our world is currently facing. Regardless of what country you live in, consider incorporating some or all of these practices in your daily life: Meditate and/or pray before you take in the first news story of the day. Ground yourself in your spiritual center...